


You and the Moon and Neptune

by theStorybook_Wolvesss



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Clashildr, F/F, I have lots of ideas for this, Lets see if i can keep this up, Post-Episode: s09e12 Hell Bent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:51:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5447180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theStorybook_Wolvesss/pseuds/theStorybook_Wolvesss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're impossible"<br/>"I know" </p><p> </p><p>What happens when an immortal and a girl caught before her last heartbeat take off in a TARDIS to see the stars?<br/>Title taken from the song "Bright" by echosmith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Snacks and Gas"

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I've been screaming about this ship for nearly two weeks, so it deserves an attempt at fanfiction from me. 
> 
> I have a lot of ideas for this floating around my internal suffering dome, so let's hope I get them out of there I to writing.

"Like I said" Clara grinned over the console at her new travelling companion  
"Gallifrey... The long way round" 

Ashildr merely smirked - she had a perfectly good idea of what Clara was doing - and wouldn't dream of stopping her.  
Clara pulled a lever, causing her TARDIS to breathe into life, before moving her hands over its controls, helping propel the diner headlong into space.

"You actually know how to fly this thing?" Ashildr phrased it like a question, asked with all the observance of someone who had lived through several billion years.  
Clara laughed in response "Well, let's find out!"  
Her small fingers continued to flick over the different buttons of the TARDIS.  
It seemed that Clara could pilot the ship, and reasonably well too. Her hands were swift, and the pair were travelling smoothly.  
Ashildr had to admit to herself; she was mildly impressed.  
She smiled briefly at Clara, joining her at the central column of what was now their home.

"Not bad!" She praised her companion's skill, and began to use the controls herself.

She didn't know how to fly the diner, but she did have the manual with her and she learned quickly.  
The hands of the immortal weren't as gentle as Clara's, nor as fast- but the TARDIS responded well to them and purred enthusiastically.  
She concentrated on the task, frowning at the Gallifreyan written in the manual, transferring its information through to her fingers.

As both women were moving around the console- Ashildr's hand made a sweeping contact with Clara's. It wasn't intentional, but she left it there, resting softly against the last few of Clara's fingers.  
She looked up at the face and doe-eyes that the hand belonged to;  
Clara's mouth was open slightly, her eyes flitting momentarily over Ashildr's features. 

Clara forgot that her heart was still - she could feel it racing.

 

"So, what do you wanna see?" Clara spoke, her voice ever so slightly caught in her throat.  
"Everything!" The immortal's eyes lit up, making her look, for a second, like a typical 18 year old- rather than the centuries aged being she really is. She pulled a face.  
"Not earth though, I've seen enough of that to last several lifetimes"  
Clara thought for a minute, then programmed something into the scanner, dislodging Ashildr's hand.  
" The last person to visit the diner payed with a song; we should start with some music. Venezia is -apparently- the 'intergalactic city of music.' "  
Clara looked at the screen before continuing;  
"I was thinking; since we're gonna be stuck as 'snacks and gas' , maybe we shouldn't try and fix it.  
We could use it, travel the universe selling food in exchange for a song, or a story maybe"  
She glanced sideways at Ashildr, gauging her response.

"I like it!" She agreed, making Clara smile.  
"..Hey, is it a coincidence that that 'Venezia' sounds a lot like 'Venice'?"  
Really. Ashildr would notice a thing like that.  
"Honestly? I don't know. Probably not; there's not many things in the universe turn out to be coincidence"

"Did the doctor tell you that?"

Clara hummed. "Partly.. partly I learned for myself. Travelled a fair bit, y'know?"  
She sounded light-hearted, but Ashildr noticed her shoulders drop as she exhaled.  
"I'm sorry"  
"What for?" Clara turned to look at her.  
"Mentioning the doctor. It must be hard not having him around- I don't exactly remember what it feels like, losing people, but I remember it feels...bad"  
Ashildr sighed, playing with the hem of her jacket.  
She had lost so many- friends, family, her own children- even Clara. And though her memory wasn't as infinite as her body, when she read her journals it all came back to her. The feelings at least. 

"Ah, Don't be" Clara's voice was strained, but calm. "He never really left; he's not the kind of person you forget about that easily. 'Sides, I shouldn't even be here. I'm the one taking liberties- technically, I'm dead"  
Ashildr laughed, the way Clara spoke, widening her already large eyes and deliberately creating drama, it released the tension.

"Yeah, by the way, what happened to 'oh, we all face the raven in the end?' Hmm?"

Ashildr smiled wickedly, using her fingers to mimic inverted commas, and lowering her gaze.  
Clara grinned back, like her usual confident self. "Well, that was before I had my own immortal and a time travelling American Diner." She tapped on the console, emphasising her point. 

"Oh? I'm your immortal now, am I?"

Clara, still smiling, tilted her head  
"eh, if you wanna be"

Ashildr's expression broke into a grin; she hardly ever smiled like this. It felt weird, but nice.  
"I have one question though..." she paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the puzzled expression on Clara's face.  
"Who's the snacks, and who's the gas?"


	2. " I'm not alone anymore, Clara Oswald "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There! I've done it!  
> Are you proud of me? Probably not, but I have a self-realised reputation for not actually updating things. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy, comments are always appreciated.  
> Love you all

The diner landed rather conspicuously; right behind Venezia's main market square.  
Though nobody saw the 'building' appear, a few heads were turned by the peculiar rattling sounds it emitted once she settled into position. 

Two doors peeked open at the front of the unusual vessel, and Clara's head emerged, her large brown eyes all at once taking in the city's atmosphere.  
"We actually landed where we wanted to be!" She shouted back into the TARDIS interior.  
"You sound surprised"  
Ashildr appeared behind her companion. "I thought you were supposed to be good at this?"  
They set foot onto the new alien ground, doors closing behind them.  
"I am!" Clara retorted, placing her hands on her hips.  
"It just so happens that TARDISes have a mind of their own, however brilliant their pilot may be"  
"...No wonder they're always women" 

Clara laughed at this, the reflection in her eyes dancing breezily.  
"You think I'm not serious?" Ashildr's tone was bright, even though she was attempting to look annoyed.  
"No, I agree with you! Imagine, with a 'male' time-machine it'd take us three days to even think about going anywhere" Clara half-joked, using one hand to remove her hairband, flicking her loosened strands back over her shoulder with the other. 

Ashildr blinked.  
Not that she'd been staring, 'course not. 

"So yeah, a serious observation."  
Clara continued talking, while regathering her ponytail and tying it again.  
"But you're also very stubborn and totally distracting- we have a city to explore!"  
Placing her now free hands on the immortal's back, Clara spun them around so that they faced away from the diner, instead giving them a full view of Venezia.  
They were effectively parked on a bridge that thinks its a pavement, or perhaps a pavement that wants to be a bridge; The city being split in two parts that ran either side of a large river.  
The market seemed to occupy both 'halves'- although the main throng was directly in front of where the travellers stood, a spread of people and stalls covered virtually every last inch of space.  
"See! It is like Venice" proclaimed Ashildr, triumphantly gesturing at the stretch of water.  
"Alright, clever clogs!"  
Clara frowned, a playful expression crossing her features.  
Ashildr's response was to throw her an affected smile. She squirmed like a pleased cat who has one-up on its owner.  
"Come on, you" Clara tutted.  
She still had her hands pressed against the other woman's back, and took advantage of this position by shoving Ashildr forward- just enough to make her lose a step.  
"Hey! This is uncalled for"  
She spoke over her shoulder to a giggling and victorious Clara. 

They managed to walk the short distance to the market square without further mishap.  
Ashildr seemed taken by the various colourful stalls and their equally colourful occupants.  
She had gone ahead of Clara, who was watching her investigate a pitch selling instruments that looked a little like windchimes.  
She'd picked one up, holding it to her ear. 

How hard it must have been, seeing every day pass by and knowing you couldn't change anything, couldn't go anywhere. Just waiting for everyone around you to leave you, for everything in the world to switch and change, forcing you to change with it for -- how long? Billions of years?  
Clara sighed.  
She could so easily forget. For her, it had been a moment between her death and the events that brought her to this very second.  
Ashildr though, she has seen more of the earth than any human should have to see.  
These melancholy thoughts didn't last long- Ashildr came back towards her, beaming like a ray of sun. She bent down to stroke what Clara assumed was a dog-like creature, since it was on a lead. (Though it looked more like a cross between an aardvark and a small pig.)

"So? What do you think?" She had to raise her voice a little; the music playing mixed with general hubbub made it difficult to be heard above the crowd.  
"Its beautiful!"  
Ashildr enthused "I've never heard anything like this before"  
The music was indeed incredible; think of the very first time you heard your favourite song, then imagine you'd never experienced music of any kind before that moment. Multiply it by five.  
That's what music on Venezia was like, that's how Ashildr felt.  
And this was a woman who had heard her fair share of tunes. 

"Apparently there used to be an electronic orchestra here somewhere; was supposed to be the best music anyone had heard. Thing is, no one even knew about the orchestra until they got here. A place like that should've been famous, right? - only it was all a cover up to make a massive great transmitter for sending a musical distress signal. This one guy absorbed all its power and became a musical genius. Fred... somethingorother- anyway- that's how Venezia became so well-known for its songs"  
"What was it? The orchestra? I mean, someone had to have built it"  
"They're called Rothraken. A ship crash-landed here. The crew decided to beam its signal by building the orchestra; all very complicated and mathematical" 

Ashildr furrowed her brow.  
"Okay then, why isn't it here now? If it inspired all these people to make beautiful music, where has it gone?"  
"Ah. Y'see, the signal wasn't strong enough with just the energy from the crew, so the Rothraken started extracting musical ability from the people on Venezia. Tourists, residents- everybody. A visit to the Opera turned into a literal nightmare.  
This Fred had no musical ability whatsoever, so when he sung he short-circuited the whole thing. It was his voice that inspired the people- Venezia used to be the city of culture, then the music kind of took over. Though, if you want to, you can still visit the awful puppet shows" 

"Gotta be better than 'Punch and Judy'" 

Clara smiled, automatically taking hold of the smaller woman's hand.  
Ashildr flinched a little, but Clara's fingers felt nice against her own, and she relaxed into her grasp.  
"Sorry" Clara apologised "i didn't think to.."  
"No, its okay" Ashildr nodded reassuringly "Its nice. Just, feels a little.. Odd." 

After being alone for so long..

The words were left unspoken, hanging in the air between them.  
Clara understood. 

They walked like that, hand in hand, exploring the market stalls.  
Some of them were selling wares; occasionally the pair would stop and buy something, and as they walked each of them told snippets of stories, to each other mostly- of things they had done, places they'd been to- people listened and smiled as they went by. 

The immortal and the ghost girl.  
Two more bodies in a sea of misfits. 

Other stalls weren't really like stalls at all- they were more like small gatherings, people played music while others danced, children laughed and ran under everyone's feet.  
"Let's dance" Ashildr pulled Clara over "I want to hear more of the music"  
Clara protested "Wait no. Ashil-- Me. I can't dance!"  
Ashildr leaned close to her ear. "But I can"  
"Whoah!" Clara laughed - Ashildr had dragged her into the middle of the crowd.  
Putting her arms around Clara's neck, she began to sway.  
It was easier than Clara imagined. After all, she could dance a little- Jane Austen had taught her a few of the traditional ball dances, but this was a whole new kind.  
It was free, liberated movements, with everything blurring around them in a riot of colour.  
They switched partners multiple times, meeting a host of alien characters in a whirlwind. Clara's ponytail had long since dissolved, her hairband trampled somewhere underfoot; the now loose strands whipped her face while she moved. 

When the music stopped, the people applauded in a wave of euphoria, a buzz still hanging in the air. Clara joined them, whooping and cheering for the dancers and the band, who gestured politely. She assumed (correctly) that it was their equivalent of a bow.  
She found she wasn't even a little out of breath.  
"Oh my god! That was awesome!" She turned, looking for her companion.  
"Ashildr? Me?" the crowd started dissipating around her, and there was no sign of the immortal.  
Clara called out again, asking passers by if they'd seen her. Nobody had.  
Clara was beginning to panic. This was her first time away from Earth, even an immortal can come across danger. It was Clara's job to look out for her.  
She had a duty of care. 

Clara retraced her steps, past every stall, across as many bridges as she could. She could do this for as long as she needed. She never got tired.  
She called Ashildr's name over. 

Eventually, she found herself back at the diner. She sighed, slumped down against the ship's doors. 

 

"Clara!"  
Her head shot up at the sound of her name  
"I've been looking all over for you!"  
It was Ashildr. 

Clara stood "what do you mean?! You're the one who wandered off"  
"I just wanted to get something, I came straight back but you'd gone-- you weren't worried about me, were you?"  
She raised one eyebrow, half of her was teasing Clara. The other half worried she'd upset the girl. 

"Just glad you're back, that's all" She wanted to hug Ashildr, but wasn't sure if she should.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to do it. I meant to come right back, I swear"  
"Wait, do what?"  
Clara tilted her head, curiosity replacing her worry, now she knew Ashildr was safe. 

Ashildr smiled, reaching into a hand-woven pouch she had slung around her shoulders.  
"It's for you" she announced, presenting the taller woman with a book. It appeared to be leather bound, etched with silver lines and curls, a beautiful, intricate design.  
Clara took it gently. "It's wonderful!" She leafed through it, realising something; its pages were blank. "It's a journal"  
"Infinite lifespan, finite memory." Ashildr shrugged "y'know, I thought you should start writing stuff down. And I realise there's tablets and what have you nowadays, but you're Clara Oswald. And I happen to know you really love books" 

Clara wiped her eyes hastily. "I do. Really like books." 

All of a sudden, she closed the distance between them, hugging Ashildr tightly. "Thankyou, Ashildr. Thankyou so much"  
There was a short pause before Clara corrected herself. "I mean, Me. Sorry, gonna take some getting used to..."  
Ashildr cut her off. "I don't mind. Being called Ashildr"  
"No no, it's your name, I'm gonna do it right" a finger was placed against Clara's lips, she could feel Ashildr's breath in her ear.  
They were so very close. 

"I called myself 'Me', because I was alone. I'm not alone anymore, Clara Oswald"  
She reached forward, slipping a strand of Clara's hair behind her ear.  
"No" Clara agreed in a whisper "Not if I can help it"  
"Good." 

"C'mon, let's go see those awful puppets"  
The immortal grinned once more, as the pair linked hands and walked back out into Venezia's setting sun.


	3. Never is an awfully long time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting. "  
> ~ not actually from Peter Pan but it's relevant to this chapter.  
> Chapter title is actually from Peter Pan XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what happened here?!  
> It wasn't meant to get this angsty on you I swear. 
> 
> If anyone's still reading this, hope you enjoy.
> 
> EDIT August 2016: deleted the word "orbs" because it made me cringe oops

"You've never read Peter Pan?"  
The genuine surprise felt by the immortal was evident on her face; her mouth hung open as she stared at her companion in disbelief.  
"Are you serious? Clara, you're an English teacher" 

The travellers were seated on a smooth, white bank, legs dangling over the side into what was essentially a pool filled with - not water- but something akin to a liquid galaxy.  
The opaque smokey atmosphere only added to the ambiance.  
Having been sat there for quite a while, the two had been talking about Ashildr's memories, prompting her to mention the similarity between herself and the character in J.M. Barrie's novel. 

Clara shrugged.  
"Never studied it, I did Romeo and Juliet in school, and it never came up in university either" 

"Even so, you're always going on about the importance of classic books, surely Peter Pan is one of them? It's not just a children's book"  
Ashildr angled her head to glance at her, watching her expression. 

She was frowning. Looking annoyed, and possibly a little sad. 

"Yeah, well I know the story, obviously. Boy who doesn't grow up.  
I don't see what that's got to do with our memories. I mean, we're not ageing but..."

"People don't realise. It's a very sad story."  
Ashildr looked down, playing with her hands and idly swirling a foot in the pastel-coloured pool, making gentle splashing sounds. 

"He forgets. Peter forgets things to stay young. He acts like he's oh so brave and clever but he can't keep learning and remembering, or he wouldn't be a child anymore. His mind wouldn't be able to hold everything in and it's.."  
Clara waited for her to continue, but she didn't.  
She was close enough to be able to reach an arm round Ashildr's shoulders, and did so, pulling the girl nearer.  
Ashildr rested her head against the shoulder of her taller companion --

Maybe because that was the easiest position to be in.  
Maybe because she sought comfort. 

Her voice was only just audible, like part of her didn't want to be heard at all. 

"It's alright most of the time, he gets to go on adventures and play pretend. He's got Wendy and the lost boys, and when they're all around him, its okay, but they leave, Clara. Everyone leaves him eventually and he's left there by himself. Its just a never ending cycle- Sometimes I don't know if Neverland is a blessing or a trap"  
She wasn't really talking about Peter Pan anymore, and both of them knew it. 

"Hey" Clara lifted Ashildr's chin with one finger, so they were face-to-face. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere" 

She tries not to think about how she had once said the same thing to the Doctor. She hopes this time, it will be true. 

Ashildr smiled weakly, burying her head into Clara's jacket.  
Her hand reached out hesitantly, to stroke Ashildr's neatly placed hair. They were still getting used to this; Ashildr had gone a long time without showing her vulnerability. 

For a few moments, a heavy silence clung to the atmosphere.  
"You know why I never read it? The real reason?"  
A rhetorical question escapes Clara's lips, her eyes fixed on a noncommittal spot on the horizon.  
"I started, as a child. My mum used to read it to me" 

Ashildr removed her face from within the folds of Clara's garments.  
Due to the immortal being the smaller of the two, and the fact that she'd tucked her legs up out of the shimmering liquid, curling into an almost-crouch, she found herself looking straight up into Clara's features.  
She saw her eyes beginning to cloud over with tears. 

She was blinking them back though, swallowing and shaking her head.  
"I don't remember how far we got, Just her and the way she sounded. She'd make it so magical.."  
Clara closes her eyes for a moment, picturing the smiling face of her mother, Ellie, hearing her voice and her laugh, remembering her soft touch on little Clara's forehead. 

"You must miss her" Ashildr's voice broke the spell. 

"Yeah" she bit her lip, eyes open again, rippling with the water she's fighting to hold behind them.  
She's not even sure if she's able to cry, maybe she's just imagining things.  
She thinks she can feel the tears escape and roll down her cheek, but then again, she still breathes, doesn't she?

And sometimes when its dark and she's alone, she thinks she can feel her heart beating.  
Being dead certainly has its complications. 

No, the tears must be real, because Ashildr's thumbs are passed lightly under her eyes and over her cheeks, soft and gentle against her burning salt skin. 

"Am I crying?" 

Ashildr nods in conformation.

She's here, she cares, and she wants Clara to know that.  
"What's the matter? What's hurting you?" 

Being alive for any length of time makes a person more intuitive, more aware of every facet of human nature- emotion included, however much she deprived herself of it. There's a fine line between shutting it out, and letting it consume you completely.  
Ashildr knew there was something worrying Clara, something she hadn't admitted. 

Clara shook her head again, ever so slightly, whilst trying to avoid any eye contact with the other.  
She, in return, easily caught Clara's gaze and responded, not by speech, but with raised eyebrows and a gesture that read  
_"oh, really? Don't you think someone who's been alive for_ billions of years _might be able to tell when someone's withholding information"_

Although no words had passed between them, Clara's doe-like eyes showed that she understood, and that she conceded. 

With a sigh- the kind of sigh that said  
_"Okay, you win this time"_ she looked Ashildr in the eyes again, her usual bubbly expression replaced with one of seriousness and sadness. 

"I don't want to forget her, Ash" 

The old and unfamiliar nickname caught her off-guard, but only for a second.  
Now it was Ashildr's turn to be comforter.  
Almost without thinking, she stroked Clara's face affectionately, her eyes full of understanding- and a little regret.  
She didn't say anything, just placed a hand over Clara's, letting her express herself freely.

Clara's free hand is run through her hair, leaving a strand or two in front of her face.  
"I dunno, it sounds so silly, remembering her hurts if i think about it too much, so forgetting should seem like ....relief? But I can't just forget someone like that- she was - is- so important. So many unlived days and untold stories; and its my job to hold onto them, hold onto her, for as long as i'm alive. Her and everyone else I knew and loved who can't be in this universe anymore" 

Ashildr swallowed drily.  
"You think I don't know?"  
She doesn't mean for it to sound unkind. Maybe it doesn't.  
These days it was difficult to tell.  
"You never get used to it, saying goodbye. But they're always there, you never really forget. It's like the stars you see on earth, they're all dead. What people see is just light- a memory of something that once was.  
I had family, Clara. Children. I've loved so many times and it hurts.  
I have done things I really shouldn't have done. Sometimes I'm glad I don't remember as much as I should; sometimes I want to close the book, never remember anything again. But we can't. We have to carry on. " 

She pauses, a sad smile flashing across her eyes  
"Write her down, Clara. Write down everything you remember, about your mother, about everyone you knew. Don't keep the pain locked away, but don't dwell on it too much, please. Too much either way, and it will break you"  
She let herself linger for a second on the very faded, blurred out memories of the children she had once loved. One day she would tell Clara about them.  
Perhaps it would be good for her, to talk. 

"Did you know"  
Clara began, pulling her sleeves over her hands and wiping her eyes  
"Her maiden name was Ravenwood"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't know weather to continue their conversation in the next chapter, or skip forward to something else that I have more of an idea for. 
> 
> Feel free to suggest


	4. Why is a Raven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't even intending to write this chapter, but it ended up being kind of important???  
> I don't even know.  
> It's pretty short but I couldn't think how else to add to it.
> 
> As always, rate and comments appreciated!

Ashildr swallowed; her small brunette head lifted slowly from its resting place, pressed against a chest with no heartbeat.  
Clara and Ashildr still nestled against strange white rocks, their bare feet and the sound of liquid below them creating a tranquil scene. 

"Ravenwood? Really?" Ashildr questioned, her face tilted, looking at Clara with puzzled interest. 

Clara tried not to be distracted by the slightly dishevelled appearance of her companion's hair, since the position she'd been lying in had displaced it somewhat.  
She nodded "yeah, weird isn't it? Prob'ly just a coincidence" 

"A coincidence? Clara "everything in the universe has a reason" Oswald? I don't think so"  
The immortal appeared bright and teasing, but there was something inside her that felt like a cold stone.  
It was her fault Clara was dead,  
her fault...  
The mention of a certain corvid had unsettled her more than she cares to admit.  
What could Clara's mother have to do with this?  
She was confused, to say the least. 

Clara interrupted with a soft sigh.  
"I don't get it, though, if it wasn't coincidence. How could my death be anything to do with her name?  
I mean, from the time she met dad to me ending up on trap street, They're years apart, and theres literally nothing to connect the two"  
She stretched her arms a little, as if waking herself up. 

"Life is like that" Ashildr shrugs it off, hoping she looks nonchalant.  
"Don't think about it too hard, your brain will explode"  
She turned attention to her own hands,  
using her thumbnail to flick against her fingers. 

"My brain will explode? Is that meant to be insulting?"  
Clara snickers, with lowered brow and a half-open mouth. 

Trust Clara to liven up a deep and frankly terrifying subject. 

"Only if you wanted it to be" replies Ashildr, with a lot more underlying feeling than she expected. 

 

Clara looks at her, and breathes.  
And so, for just one moment,  
Ashildr doesn't. 

 

"Nothing"  
She replies to Clara's unspoken question, smiling lightly, and brushing it off with a swirl of her foot in the sparkling liquid pool.  
(What she's washing herself of, shes not entirely certain. )

Then there's a pause, the kind that, if you listen for long enough, makes you realise how big, how vast, the universe is around you.  
And there you are- there they were- taking it all in and touching everything with an impossible force- Almost as if they didn't exist.

Clara's brows knit together in concentration,  
which after a minute or two, is noticed by her puzzled friend.

"You're thinking again, aren't you?"  
Her voice was laced with something- resignation? curiosity?  
Honestly, She couldn't tell.

Maybe it was both. 

"It was an accident" Clara's voice waves through the quiet.  
"Her death. I wasn't even there"

She rolls over onto her front, head propped up on her hands, elbows against the ground.  
Her mind had moved on to something else, so many connections pulsed through it.  
Ashildr automatically shifts to allow her extra room. 

"... I'm _thinking_.  
I died, I was dead and gone, and now I'm with you on some planet that's basically a huge 'Lush' bath bomb, living and breathing and thinking about my mum.  
How's that even work, should I be able to do that?" 

Clara folded her legs up over her back, again switching subjects to her family and childhood- 

"She was so adventurous.  
When she used to read to me, yeah there were the stories like Peter Pan, but most of all she had this book, it was like a travel guide, really.  
We'd sit together on her bed and tell each other where we would go, what we'd do.  
Her name was written in the front of it.  
She gave it to me when I was nine.  
There used to be a leaf in the front of it, too, but thats gone now.  
I lost it." 

"Lost it? How?" 

"That's another story; I guess she saved the day even after she lived.  
When she died, there were so many things she hadn't done, her whole life was in that one leaf. Now even that's destroyed, One moment and every part of her is gone.  
And then - I get a second chance, I'm killed by a puff of smoke and my own stupid ideas and I get to live again? That isn't fair"

Clara hardly paused, a million and one thoughts circled around her head and she couldn't begin to decode them.  
Ashildr listened as she carried on.

"All I am is stars and leaves and smoke, and now this whole Ravenwood thing? Leaves and the Raven, it almost makes sense.  
I dunno.  
I don't believe in fate, but who's to say things don't happen for a reason" 

She had never been more aware of it- the distinction between person and body, and all the little fragments that makes someone who they are. 

"Leaves?"  
Ashildr wrinkled her nose. "Clara, I love you but I have no idea what you're talking about" 

"The leaf is everything.  
My mum saved my dad's life when a lea... Hold on, you what?" 

Clara's expression changed with the atmosphere, in quick succession, from one of nostalgic emotion, to confusion, and finally a wide smile, her eyes sparkling like the pool in front of them.  
"What did you say" 

"No, no I said, I just meant, that, well y'know..."  
Ashildr hastily grabbed at figurative straws, trying to wriggle her way out of the situation.  
"Oh, to hell with it. I love you, Clara Oswald" 

Clara's grin almost touched her ears.  
"She loves me, she loves me!"  
A chant sung to no one, since they were evidently the only ones on this particular planet. 

"Shut up"  
Protested Ashildr, scooting back over to her. 

"I love you too, you big nerd"  
Clara took Ashildr's hand, and there they stayed. 

The girls stayed just there, on that planet, for....  
Hours? Days? Who knows. 

But when they finally walked back to the diner, still hand-in-hand, there was a something waiting for Clara.  
Sitting on the console was a book; The front cover showed a picture of a globe, and above that it proudly stated 

"101 places to see" 

Clara opened it, tracing her fingers over the flyleaf.  
She shed a single tear, because it was right there on the page , hand-written in black ink,  
"Property of Ellie Ravenwood, age 11" 

Closing the book, Clara held it to her empty chest.  
"Thankyou" She whispered.  
"For everything"


	5. Elvis ain't dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What if dying doesn't always mean the end"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I realised I left something I meant to edit out and replace, so I've done that now. Silly me. 
> 
>  
> 
> What's this??? Two chapters in one month?  
> To be fair I started writing this one last month so .... 
> 
> Anyway, I don't know if it should have been longer, but I like the nearly-a-cliffhanger ending. and this part of the story will carry on for a few chapters, at least! 
> 
> As always, comments very much loved and aporeciated.

_It's a possibility none of this would have happened, if Clara hadn't insisted we go back to earth_

"Hey!" 

Ashildr sat on one of the bar stools at the counter, writing in her journal.  
She'd just begun a new page, when Clara- who had apparently been walking past her- decided she needed to correct this statement.  
She positioned herself behind Ashildr's seat, and tutted at her.  
"It wasn't _me_ who wanted to go back to earth." 

"No. Of course it wasn't"  
Ashildr paused and, not even glancing up from the page, replied  
"Because it was you" 

"Haha, very funny" Clara nodded at the former viking's use of her long-term alias.  
She sounded sarcastic, but smiled fondly while she spoke.  
Squeezing the other woman's shoulders, Clara noted that her name had been crossed out, and replaced with "this irrepressible, confounded machine (she made me change that)".  
The 'she' in question made a small sound of amusement. 

............

The incident had begun not long ago in the same place Ashildr now sat. 

Clara had found her one morning doing sudoku puzzles. (well, it could've been morning. To be honest she couldn't tell- Time never progresses in the usual way anymore)  
She joined in for a bit, before - as the expression goes- 'dropping the bomb'. 

"You're not gonna like this"  
She warned, making Ashildr shift her attention away from the puzzle. 

"We're gonna have to pop to earth" 

"Claraaaaa" Ashildr flopped about pouting, like a young child.  
"But whyyy? Earth is _boring_ I've _done_ earth. Why do we suddenly need to go there now?" 

"I know, and if it was up to me I wouldn't go at all. But the DINER needs to recharge her batteries. It won't be f'r'long."

Ashildr continued to frown. 

"Tell you what, we don't even have to go out there, we can stay on board if you'd prefer. We've got hundreds of rooms and a lot of books, Its not like there's nothing to do" 

This suggestion seemed a lesser evil; Ashildr nodded, raising her eyebrows.  
"Actually, I haven't slept in ages. I'm kinda tired"  
She began to yawn before she'd finished her sentence.  
Whether it was effected or truthful, Clara wasn't sure.  
The immortal did occasionally sleep, and although the diner is equipped with at least one bed, the stubborn Ashildr was more often found passed out on the couch, or with her head resting against the counter. 

Clara, however, didn't need to sleep at all.  
"And what'm I gonna do?" 

The smaller girl smiled wryly, closing the sudoku book.  
"You can keep me company and stare at the wall" 

 

So that's what they did.  
The peculiar restaurant landed in Nevada, USA, while it was still dark.  
She thrummed gutturally, parking herself above her favourite temporal rift, to absorb the energy it contained beneath.

Ashildr opened the doors, took one look at earth and made a face. She hadn't missed it.  
Flipping the sign to "closed", she disappeared back into the depths of the tardis, and hid herself under the covers. 

The DINER's bedroom was like a little den, warm and wooden, with a soft light.  
Clara couldn't remember the last time she'd slept, it seemed so pointless to her now.  
However, she found that, curled up against a warm body, her fingers clasped around those of another, and in such peaceful surroundings, she was a little less cold;  
(Clara was always cold- she assumed it was a side effect of dying)  
and she did, infact, sleep- from habit and relaxation rather than tiredness. 

Surprisingly, she was so soundly asleep that it was Ashildr who was woken by the sound; someone entering the DINER's 'front' room.  
"Clara" she whispered, attempting to shake her into conciousness.  
"Eernnnnnngf"  
Said Clara, rolling away from Ashildr, and deeper into a tangle of blankets.  
"Clara!"  
A little louder this time, accompanied by a hard nudge in the ribs.  
This time she stirred awake, looking particularly annoyed. 

"Do you still dream?" Ashildr rolled over, propped herself up in amongst the blanket nest, and looked straight at the groggily sleepy woman across from her. 

"Ashildr, I swear if you woke me up to ask if I was dreaming..." 

She smiled. Not apologetic in the least. "No, there's someone in the DINER" 

"I thought you'd put the sign up?" 

"I did, but someone's there. I'm sure" 

Clara untangled herself from the many blankets that enveloped her form.  
"Probably just a customer, you didn't have to wake me, could've served them yourself" 

"Yeah, I could've. But I'm the one who actually needs sleep"  
Ashildr raised her eyebrows and grinned. 

"You're terrible" Clara chastised, but she got up anyway, undressing slowly- deliberately perhaps- and replacing the nightclothes with her signature waitress outfit.  
She messily threw her hair into a ponytail, and headed out of the room. 

Ashildr teasingly stuck her tongue out at her as she left.  
Clara responded, half-winking and closing the door behind her. 

The immortal's assumption was correct; there was someone in the restaurant.  
A girl, probably about 13, 14 years old?  
Her eyes were fixed on something, she didn't even seem to notice as Clara established herself behind the serving counter. 

"He's dead"  
Said the girl, all of a sudden.  
So she had known Clara was there, after all. 

Clara followed her gaze to see what had caught this girl's attention for so long- presumably whatever she was looking at had caused the strange remark.  
Both sets of eyes eventually met the same object; or rather objects. They were stylised grey letters, printed above and to the left (from where Clara stood) of the counter itself.  
In a rather jumbled, non-uniform way they stated:

"Elvis Lives On"

"Elvis." The girl spoke again, gesturing flippantly as if this was a perfectly obvious conclusion.  
"He died, I remember it happening on the news, so."  
She looked towards Clara, defiant and a little angry. 

"Yeah? What if dying dosen't always mean the end"  
Clara tilted her head the slightest amount, first one way, then back again. As if weighing something up in her mind.  
"I died. And look at me" 

The girl looked, and seemed to become even more rattled than before.  
"You're not dead" She argued crossly, shifting her legs underneath her.  
"Dead people don't talk. Blue slushie, please" 

"What?"

"Blue slushie." The teen pointed to one of the machines behind Clara.  
"You are a diner, aren't you?" 

 

"Yeah, sure. One blue slushie.  
Don't complain if its not the flavour you expected, its hard to keep track..."  
Clara turned away, and became busy preparing the drink.  
She reached across the work surface, like a true waitress, passing the customer her finished product.

"Next thing you're gonna say is  
That dead people don't breathe, either" 

Apparently she was confusing the customer too. As a bonus side-order.

"They... Don't...?"  
A few sips on the straw, followed by the facial equivalent of  
'ew. the hell is this?', accompanied by a quick eye-gesture at the offending drink.  
"This isn't raspberry" 

"No?" Clara extracted another slushie from the container, and sampled it herself.  
"No your right, it isn't. Definitely not raspberry.  
She paused, placing the drink down again; possibly for dramatic effect.  
"...And I'm not alive."  
She meant this as some kind of comparison - not to take things at face value. 

By now Ashildr had emerged, she stood just on the threshold of the diner, holding open the door marked "restroom".  
She observed the current exchange between Clara and the unidentified teenager, with bewildered amusement. 

The teenager sighed, resignedly taking another mouthful of her drink.  
"Don't believe you. You can't be dead, that's stupid." Although, she looked slightly less confident than before. 

Clara held an arm out to the girl, and with her eyes and a nod of her head encouraged her to feel Clara's pulse. Or, as it happened, lack of. 

"...impossible" breathes the girl, looking at Clara with wide eyes- at least twice their usual size. 

Clara smiles. 

"How? Th.. I don't und... You're like a ghost" 

"More of a zombie, actually. Its a long story" 

This is the moment when Ashildr decided to show herself, joining Clara behind the counter.  
"Although, she's quite the prettiest zombie I've ever seen, wouldn't you say? And she hasn't sucked my brains out yet" 

"There's more of you. Hello"  
The teen shuffled on her seat again, bringing back some of her composure.  
"Are you gonna tell me you're dead as well?" 

The youthful immortal pulled a mischievous smile.  
"Nah. died once, i didn't like it. Good job it's never going to happen again" 

"So" the teen rested her elbows on the counter, leaning forwards and edging the slushie away "you're telling me one of you is dead. And the other one ... was dead? Why should I believe you. Maybe you're lying, the pulse thing can be faked. If it's true, why would you tell me? Unless you like to freak out all your customers" 

The two travellers exchanged a glance.  
"Nope" Clara began, popping the 'P'.  
"I only tell the curious ones. The ones who are looking for something.  
The sign says 'closed' -- why did you come here?"


	6. "It's all "the spaceship part""

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM STILL HERE!!!  
> It's a bit short and goes weird at the end, but my characters wouldn't behave themselves tbh.  
> Also sorry about the delay in updating, napowrimo kind of took over and I've been kind of busy too. This is a pretty slow chapter but Stuff is going to happen I promise. 
> 
> Anyway, comments loved (a lot) and I hope you enjoy.

It's true, the unsuspecting teen hadn't known exactly what she'd find on entering this odd-seeming diner.  
But it certainly wasn't two women who claimed to be dead. Or once dead. Or  
... Something. 

The girl stared at Clara with an air of peculiarity and confusion, taking a second or two to process the question that had just been asked.  
Why had she come here? Was there even an easy answer to that? She shrugged.  
"This restaurant..." She began , casting furtive looks around her "it feels weird"

"Weird how?" Clara posed another question, genuinely curious about the girl.  
"I don't know... It was always here, right?" She both looked and sounded like she contradicted herself on this; she almost didn't believe it.  
Still, she carried on talking "It's, i dunno, is seems like it was alive, like it's trying to tell me something" she looked down at her feet, as if she were laughing at herself. 

"And what do you think she was saying?" Clara looked amused, but the visitor couldn't tell if her amusement was directed _at_ her, or not.  
"She?"  
"Yeah" Clara smiled. "She told me so, besides. all vehicles are shes, right?"  
"This is an American diner" the girl retorted. She was beginning to feel like she was dreaming; this was just getting progressively weirder. 

"A-ha." Clara confirmed "would you believe me if I said she is also a ship"  
"A SPACEship" added Ashildr, to avoid (or provide) further confusion. 

"... You're kidding me." The teenager's eyebrows shot up, and she gave the pair a look of pure disbelief. "A spaceship?" 

"Yes." Clara made a snap decision, which Ashildr registered swiftly.  
"Follow me" 

Ashildr directed her eyes toward Clara, and they said _"Hell, Clara, what **are** you thinking?"_  
"Trust me." She responded verbally, and then, to the girl " come on"  
The girl obeyed, hopping off the bar stool, deciding to bring the odd, not-raspberry slushie with her. 

Clara stood expectantly outside a door marked "restroom"  
The teen only pulled a face; was this supposed to be exciting? 

Clara put a hand on the handle, before she was interrupted again by her visitor's voice 

"Wait, what if you're trying to kidnap me? How do I know you and your zombie girlfriend aren't going to lock me in there?" 

"Hey!" Ashildr protested "she's the zombie, not me!" 

This was ignored by Clara, who's priority was reassuring the girl, who seemed to be more defiant than scared.  
"Why would I want to kidnap you? This is a spaceship diner, not a gingerbread house"  
"I don't know! I've heard people like to kidnap girls and hide them in cupboards or something. And no offence, but you two are weird" 

Clara rolled her eyes, good humourdly,  
"Just... Go in there, okay?" 

"Okayy, but if you try and lock me in there..."  
She was cut off - Clara opened the door, and the newcomer was immediately stunned.  
"... whoah" she managed, walking slowly into what Clara and Ashildr knew as the main console room.  
"How'd you, what's with the, and how come its..." She didn't finish any of these sentences, instead uttering another "whoah." 

"Pretty cool, huh?" Clara leaned against the central column, hoping she looked suave and impressive.  
Ashildr raised an eyebrow at her. 

After the initial shock of entering the room, the teenager decided to explore it a little. 

"So, notice anything... Unusual, or anything" Clara walked behind her, trying to prompt a certain reaction she hadn't get received. Ashildr shook her head, secretly enjoying Clara's attempts. She could guess exactly the reaction the doctor's former companion wanted. 

"Okay, I'm guessing this is the spaceship part" (Clara gave a small sigh) 

"It's all the 'spaceship part'" interjected Ashildr, "but if you mean the part that flies the diner then, yes, this is it" 

"Wait, why are zombies or ghosts, or whatever you are, in a spaceship? Are you aliens? Like from that film that came out a last year, the new Star Wars movie, cuz I don't think..." 

Clara had already a rough idea of what year they had landed in, since the girl had said she remembered Elvis' death, and because of the state of the temporal rift; the diner chose a point in time where the rift contained enough energy to give a decent charge.  
Now she knew it must be 1984, if she remembered correctly. Or was it '85? 

"No, we're not aliens" she heard Ashildr still talking to the girl "well I am, a little bit. But mostly we're human. It's a long story" 

"How long?" 

"How long have you got?" 

Clara brought her attention back to the conversation.  
"Later, we can explain later." Clara suspected something had drawn this girl to their TARDIS, and she hoped to discover what it was.  
"I don't even know your name yet, I'm Clara" she extended her hand toward the girl with a smile. 

"Cassie" replied the girl, warily. She side-eyed Clara, but took the hand and shook it.  
"Cassie" Clara repeated warmly. "Hello" 

Cassie looked to Ashildr, expecting her to also give her name. Itook a few seconds for Ashildr to register this. 

"Oh, don't need one. Travel light" she waved a hand dismissively, and earned a look from Clara. She knew Ashildr didn't give her name unless she really trusted a person, but Clara wanted Cassie to trust her, and Ashildr. 

"...okay" Cassie replied, taking another tentative sip at her drink.  
"So, not aliens, dead but not dead, annnnnddd one of you doesn't have a name"  
She wanders over to a seat, which is white and made of something like leather. She sits down. 

"Yeah. It's complicated, but we'll explain, it might just take a while." Clara softly sat down next to her, she had a feeling this situation was running away with her. 

"You don't seem as freaked out as I thought you'd be" observes Ashildr, who is still hovering by the central column. " I mean, this is a flying American diner. And two dead people." 

Cassie frowned. "I've seen weirder. Actually that's a lie, I haven't. What do you do , out there? "  
She was really just testing the ground- they seemed genuine, and there was this weird room, and the slushie, and the whole 'woman with no pulse' thing, but could this really be a spaceship? 

"We save people, mostly. Help them." Ashildr almost grins "there's the odd adventure in there, too"  
Clara's voice made another appearance "Cassie, I know this is all really really freaky, but I think you came here for something. What was it? You said the diner felt weird, and the door is usually locked. She must have let you in for some reason, am I right?" 

Cassie thought for a moment. She reached for Clara's wrist again, testing for the pulse. Nothing. She glanced around her once more, and took a breath.  
"I don't know if I believe you yet. But maybe you can help me"


	7. "Totally Awesome Radical Diner in Space"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You All thought I was done with this, didn't you? 
> 
> HA HA no such luck. 
> 
> If anyone is still reading this I would love it if you commented, Idrk just put "pancakes" or smth and I will be happy lbr.

"Maybe you can help me"  
The teen, Cassie , had said. She still had her hands against Clara's wrist, looking right at this strange, dead woman. 

"Help you how?" Clara asked, her eyes kind and questioning. 

Cassie winced.  
She would've said something about sounding ridiculous, but in the circumstances it seemed rather unnessecary. 

"There's a graveyard..."

Cassie didn't believe in fairytales, but it was hard to ignore the feelings of being watched, the statues that never seemed to stay in the same places, and, worst of all, people had gone missing. 

"I don't know how to explain this -- but, I think it's the statues. I think they're alive" 

Clara nodded, which was (probably) reassuring. At least she didn't think Cassie was entirely bonkers. 

"Okay, Cassie, do you think you can picture it, in your head?"  
She bit her lip, moving her head slightly in response. 

"Good, what I need is for you to come stand over here, by Ashildr" Clara gestured towards the TARDIS console, and a serious-looking immortal.  
Cassie looked uncertain, but did as she was told. 

Ashildr managed to smile at her, just a little.  
"Okay, close your eyes and picture the graveyard" she instructed, while Clara gently guided the girl's hand onto one of the ship's panels.  
The machinery whirred as it came into contact with human skin, Clara letting go of her charge's hand as the TARDIS took over.  
After just a few moments, the scanner glitches into life, showing an image of a graveyard, in the twilight. 

"Alright!" Clara enthused, turning the scanner so it faced her directly.  
"Thankyou, Cassie, you can open your eyes" 

Cassie inhaled, and moved her hand like she'd been bitten. 

"It didn't hurt, did it?"  
The girl shook her head, and Ashildr returned her attention to the ship. 

It hadn't hurt, but it did feel weird. Cassie knew then what these women meant- this spaceship, diner, whatever it was, this was something else.  
She regained composure, looking at the screen that Clara and Ashildr seemed focused on. 

There was her graveyard.  
Had the machine read her mind? 

She half-listened to what the pair were saying, but honestly didn't understand most of it.  
"Ashildr? Can you Programme the co-ordinates from the scanner? It's in Gallifreyan"  
"the TARDIS has a telepathic link"  
"I know, but we don't wanna risk getting lost in the vortex" 

Cassie was aware she missed half of the conversation, but this was ridiculous. These words were like something out of a badly written Scifi.  
Another thing, Clara had, at least twice now, referred to the second woman as 'Ashildr', when the girl in question had clearly told Cassie she didn't need a name. Very peculiar. 

The two women babbled on, moving quickly around the console- a white hexagonal form in the middle of the room- doing.... Something technical? Probably.  
The machine, diner, ...thing, started to make a grinding sound, like rusty chains in a storm.  
(Cassie jumped, but there was no need to admit that. )

"Here we go!"  
Announced Clara, quite gleefully, Cassie thought.  
She made a happy cheering sound and- balancing herself perfectly- clung on to the edge of one of the panels, while positioning a leg steadily behind her. 

Her companion, however, didn't sound nearly as pleased.  
"Oh god"  
Ashildr mumbled under her breath, trying to imitate Clara's stance.  
Evidently, she failed.

The ship gave a sudden lurch, causing Ashildr, and Cassie too, to fall completely off-balance.  
"Every bloody time" growled Ashildr, who was now upside-down on the ground. Clara made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a spluttered giggle. 

She, of course, was in exactly the same position she started in.  
Some people.

"Don't rush forward to help me, or anything. I'll manage" Ashildr rolled her eyes sarcastically. She attempted to sit, when the DINER decided now was the perfect time to shake around a bit. 

Ashildr sighs.  
"I think she hates me" 

"She does not!" Clara protested, making her way over to a disgruntled Ashildr.  
"One day, you'll learn to fly this thing. You just need to appreciate her."  
Clara smirked, holding a hand out.  
Ashildr took it resignedly. 

"Excuse me, Miss Clara Oswald, may I remind you which one of us knows how to read the manual" 

"Excuse you, Miss "names are for the weak", but may I remind **you** which one of us is laying flat on the floor?" 

Just then, a wicked look crossed Ashildr's face.  
Clara had no time to respond before she, Ashildr, gave a swift tug to Clara's proffered hand.  
One quick, jerky movement that took Clara by surprise- and ended up with her being pulled to the ground too. Actually, she was practically on top of Ashildr. 

Now it was Ashildr's turn to smirk. She hadn't yet let go of Clara's hand, and she kissed it softly.

"Rude!" Announced an indignant Clara. "That doesn't mean I forgive you for what you've done. You've ruined my hair"  
Ashildr only laughed.

 

Suddenly, Cassie spoke, and pointed.  
"....Hey!" 

Clara and Ashildr both stood at once, and turned to look at her; neither of them had seen the tiny flashing light near the top of one of the panels. 

Ashildr uttered a word Cassie didn't recognise. It sounded rude.  
"Don't just stand there!" Yelled Clara, hurling herself at the console. She did something clever with the buttons, Ashildr following suit. 

"It's not happening, Ash."  
Clara lamented, as the ship started to make a loud, incessant honking sound.  
The light, although small, now blinked enough to intermittently fill the room with a coloured haze. 

Having no time to protest at being called "Ash", the immortal attempted a stretch to the next panel, but she was a small woman, smaller even than Clara, and her arms wouldn't quite reach.  
"What are we gonna do?" She threw a panicked glance at Clara.

Her response was shouting across to the only other person on board.  
"Cassie! We need you!" 

"Ohhhh no. I'm not touching that thing" the girl backed away, eyes wide and frightened "That thing is weird, I'm not going near it again" 

"Cassie, please! We're gonna crash!" Clara pleaded, as the DINER tossed and groaned.

Cassie shook her head. 

"Come on, kid, You're the only chance we've got, or we really ARE gonna crash. If you don't do this, we might never make it to the graveyard!" Ashildr reiterated.  
As if to illustrate, the DINER tipped completely to one side, and Ashildr was thrown away from the console, steadying herself instead on the wall of the ship. 

Cassie closed her eyes. She could be brave. Besides, the choice was between crashing into deep space or possibly having her memory wiped, it wasn't like she had a lot of options. Crawling over to where Clara stood, her hand hovered above the panel. "Which button?" 

"Thankyou! This one here!" Clara pointed.  
Cassie obliged, and The DINER tipped again, righting itself. The beeping noise continued.  
"Now this" Clara gestured to Cassie, while pressing several things in quick succession. 

"Ashildr, you okay?" Clara asked, as she noticed her companion regain her balance and come over.  
Clara, unable to pause in her efforts, was still concerned for the other's safety.  
Ashildr nodded, immediately assisting with the calming of their ship.  
She pulled on something- Finally, the beeping stopped and the light went off. Clara fist-pumped the air in triumph 

"We did it! Go team!" She yelled, grabbing Ashildr's face between both hands and planting a rushed kiss on her forehead.

"'Go team?'" Ashildr raised one eyebrow as best as she could, considering her face was being squished.  
She immediately regretted speaking, however, because Clara was Clara. And she replied with "What team?!" , grinned and looked expectantly into Ashildr's face. 

"...wildcats" Ashildr obliged drily.  
Clara smiled, and poked Ashildr's nose.  
"Nerd" said Ashildr affectionately. 

"Oh my goooooood" Cassie groaned and rested her elbows on the console. Her head landed heavily in her hands.

"What is it?" Clara released Ashildr and swung her head round, suddenly on alert. 

"You guys. if I'd wanted to see this" (here she gestured vaguely at the pair) I'd have stayed at home and watched 'Romancing the stone'" 

Ashildr spoke under her breath  
"Pssht. We have more adventure than 'Romancing the stone.' Who invited this kid anyways?" 

"I invited myself!" Cassie retorted.  
"Or, apparently your weird ship invited me"

Clara gasped in mock affront, happy that the girl was behaving like a usual teenager- that meant she wasn't too scared.  
"Don't insult the TARDIS! You know, we could send you home right now" 

"Tardis isn't even a real word , this is a diner" 

"It is so a word; it stands for ' Totally Awesome Radical Diner in Space'" 

"It does?" Interjected Ashildr doubtfully. 

Clara shushed her  
"It does now" 

"Anyway" Cassie smiled mischievously, for the first time since arrival on board  
"You can't send me home. You don't know where I live" 

On this note, the ship began to land, again starting up its rattling chain sound.  
Clara ran to the console and held on. "Brace yourselves!" 

"Ashildr didn't even try. "Here we go" she said, as the ship stopped, and she toppled over once more. Clara caught her, and was surprised to see that Cassie had managed to stay upright. 

"Well then. Here goes" she said, looking towards the doors. She and Ashildr pulled on them, and all three stepped out. 

"This is it!" Cassie eagerly looked around her. It almost appeared to be twilight, but according to Clara's phone it was only 2:30 in the afternoon.  
Not that her phone could always be trusted. 

"What now?" Asked Ashildr, shrugging. This was all very well, but they didn't actually know what they were doing here. 

For the second time this trip, Clara shushed her. This time for a more serious reason- something was moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "Totally Awesome Radical Diner in Space" acronym was taken from a tumblr post, I don't remember the author but if you do tell me and I'll be sure to credit them!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :~)

"Could be an animal or something?" Ashildr suggests with a note of hopefulness.

The sound of movement continued somewhere behind them, the two older women look at Cassie, who shook her head.   
"Nah-uh. S'not an animal" - she stayed low to the ground, probably made no difference, but she felt like it was helping somehow. "They don't know we're here yet" 

"...they?" Ashildr questioned, somewhat apprehensively 

"The statues"   
she whispers, afraid of disturbing something, and peers around her warily. 

Clara follows suit, picking up a nearby stick; just in case.   
"Okay, what can you tell us about them, these 'statues'. How many are there? How do they move? Are they fast?" 

The teen smiles sheepishly "...i don't know. I've never actually seen them move"

If Clara is confused, she tries not to show it   
"Alright... Sorry, but, um, how do you know they're not just regular statues?" 

"I have seen them! I just haven't seen them _moving_ " Cassie sounded a little frustrated that this undead ghost woman, of all people, might be doubting her.   
" and I know they're not being moved by anyone, I mean, they're really old and I don't think anyone could move them, for one thing. But they definitely switch positions i swear it. And they always have their hands over their faces- and they didn't before. not all of them." 

"Okay, thats something. And they're dangerous? You say people have gone missing? " 

"Yuh-hah, that started before i knew it was the statues - oh god this sounds mad- first off was a little boy on my street, people thought he'd been kidnapped, then this old woman from over the road, some others too but i don't know all of them; the little kids started saying it was the statues, or ghosts, but no one believed them. and then..."   
Cassie swallowed, a wave of sadness coming over her as she looked up at Clara's eyes   
"... Then it was my dad" 

Clara exchanged a glance with her companion.  
Neither woman had any time to sympathise - instead Cassie carried on with her explanation; Perhaps a little faster than necessary  
"We like to walk here sometimes- liked to walk here- the graveyard. We always said we we were ghosthunting but really we just like the quiet. We pretended that the noise was a ghost, at first, but then everytime we looked this one statue seemed to be moving around. That's when we started running away from it, but they kept coming and coming...  
The girl took a breath, went quiet  
" I don't know what happened; my dad was right there, he grabbed my hand, i felt his fingers and I looked down, but then suddenly he was just, gone. Like he was never there. I think I screamed" 

"Hell, I would have screamed too" Clara crouched alongside her, put a hand on her shoulder  
"I'm so sorry. We're gonna find out what happened to your dad, I promise. When you say statues, What exactly do they look like? "  
Cassie sniffed, wiping her nose with an arm "angels, mostly"  
Suddenly, clara's eyebrows shot up, and her eyes widened   
"Oh! Ohhhhh"   
She jumped to her feet , waving the stick she held in a disconcerting manner 

"What? What is it?" Ashildr jumped too, out of surprise , though she wouldn't have said that. 

"Theres something I remember about living statues, angels, I dunno something about you have to look at them, or not let them look at each other, or something..."   
She frowned, searching for the fragments of memory that must still be in there, somewhere. 

"Um, Clara? "   
The hushed urgency in Ashildr's voice caught Clara's attention   
" I don't want to alarm anyone, but, erm, you might need to remember pretty soon." 

Clara turned; and was startled to see a figure centimetres behind them. 

........... ........... ............

"Oh"   
Was the only thing that came to mind as Clara got over the shock of the newcomer's looming grey presence.   
It was of course a statue- and at first glance there was nothing to suggest this wasn't any other, ordinary stone effigy- it had the appearance of an angel with its hands over its face, just like Cassie had said .   
Not uncommon in a graveyard. 

"Alright, we don't know what we're dealing with here, so let's go slowly"   
Clara carefully backed away, the others doing the same, until they are a fair distance from the angel, but still facing it.  
"What now?" Cassie whispers to Clara , who appears to have taken charge.   
Clara stares ahead of her, and swallows.   
"Now we run. on three ...  
"One," Clara takes Ashildr's hand  
"two" she looks across at Cassie and then at the angel  
"RUN!" She yells, turning on her heel and dragging Ashildr swiftly behind her 

The sound of breathing and the women's combined footsteps is the only sound, the two immortals must have lost each other's contact on the way, because now Ashildr, behind and alone, checks the situation with a fleeting flick of the eyes over her shoulder.   
"Clara! Clara theres three of them, they're coming!"   
The figures no longer had their hands over their features, and as Ashildr shouts to alert her partner, she wishes they did, because these 'angels' didn't look angelic at all.   
Rather, they had pointed teeth, arms outstretched, finished with long stone fingernails, and their faces were fixed in a very unfriendly snarl.

"Okay, Nobody panic" instructs Clara, panicking.   
Her voice becomes more strained as she doubles back to the others and ushers them forward.  
"Just get back to the DINER, now!"  
They need no second bidding, but all three throw frequent looks behind at the creatures, which never seem to be more than a foot away from them.   
For something that doesn't seem to move, they are scarily fast. 

Ashildr reaches the door first, scratching at it with her nails in a bid to grab the handle   
"Ashildr, quickly" Clara shouts desperately as she cannons into the back of her. She thinks she feels bonelike fingers grabbing at her, at the clothes on her back- then again, it could just be a twig. 

The youngest of the three manages to slip through the tangle, and she pulls the door hard, sending the pile of bodies crashing into the ship.   
"My god" she breathes, untangling herself and getting to her feet.   
"This is classic horror movie stuff"

No one else speaks, The doors slam shut behind them, and Ashildr hears what she thinks is the sound of stone nails scraping down the doors of the ship. She shudders. 

It takes a moment or two for Cassie and Ashildr to catch their breath, and Clara her composure.   
Once they can breathe easily again, Clara heads for the scanner. 

"What you doing?" Cassie slides up to her, watching with all the curiosity of an interested, yet slightly nervous kitten.   
"I'm googling" Clara explains, typing something on the panel below her. She moves the screen closer to them both.   
"You're what?" The teen wrinkles her nose, confused by the term. 

Ah, right, Cassie is from the 80s. No google. Clara tries to think of a better analogy. 

"Looking them up... kind of like...an electronic encyclopaedia?" 

"Wait, its a computer?" 

"Yeah, kind've" 

The girl has a lot more questions, but realising Clara needs to concentrate, she fortunately decides to just watch instead.   
She sees Clara type 'angels' 'statues' and finally 'stone angels' 

 

"Maybe we should've "googled" them before we went out there" Ashildr suggests, smirking.   
Clara rolls her eyes, choosing to ignore this remark. She flicks something on the screen with her finger, bringing up a page with a long wall of text. "Ashildr, come over here"   
This time, it's Ashildr who rolls her eyes, but the woman comes over anyway.   
(fascinated by their dynamic, she momentarily forgets the weight of the situation) 

"It's in Gallifreyan, you gotta read for me"   
Ashildr nods, sweeping under Clara's arm and edging in closer to her and to the scanner.   
She reads aloud, scrolling as she does so , the blue tint from the screen illuminating one side of her face. 

She flicks over the image at the top of the page, turning it to view different angles.   
The related text swirls underneath, and Ashildr translates obligingly. 

"'A Powerful species of quantum-locked being, these humanoid creatures are known as 'weeping angels'.   
This is because they often cover their faces to avoid looking at one another - and therefore trapping each other in stone form forever.   
The Angels feed on time energy, and are known as being benevolent murderous psychopaths' "

The screen skips, and Ashildr attempts scrolling to get back to where it was 

"Blah blah blah.. 'Weeping angels are almost as old as the universe itself; some have chosen to take physical form by converting existing statues, however...'" 

"Hang on, back up a bit?" Clara interrupts, leaning forward and momentarily blocking Ashildr's view of the screen.   
Shooing Clara back she rereads from the top of the page.  
"Weeping angels are almost as old as.." 

"Um, I think she means the "kind psychopaths" ..." Cassie suggests helpfully. "Did you miss a bit?" 

"Oh, right. Yeah,  
'The Angels are known as being benevolent murderous psychopaths; instead of killing their victims, the Angels instead send them into the past and let them live out the rest of their lives, but in a different time period. This enables the Angels to consume the remaining time energy left over from the victim's previous life. However.." 

"Wait a minute" Cassie stops her reading further "the people, they're still alive?"

"Hang on, I'm not done yet" Ashildr protests "they might be, but also there's this " she scrolls along to another paragraph   
" weeping angels grow weaker from starvation, causing the stone to wear away over the years.   
A starved Angel may have the appearance of a typical statue of great age.   
Weeping angels can regain their appearance and energy once fed - starvation weakens an Angel's strength and speed, but when time energy pales in comparison with another food source, an Angel may kill by other means" 

Cassie swallows. 

There is silence as Ashildr briefly scrolls down, her being the only one who can see the text is a little worrying for the other two. 

"There's a lot more on here, but that's basically" Ashildr closes the page   
"They're very hard to kill" 

Cassie frowns.   
"I don't understand, my dad is still alive, but he could be Walking about 100 years ago or something?? He's dead, now, but alive back then ? How can we save them if they're already dead- that's impossible" 

Clara smiles.   
"We need a plan"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao I don't think this one is that great but it took me forever. 
> 
> Anyway, what's everyone's favourite chapter so far? Mine are probably 3 and 5 ;)

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first time writing Clara, I hope its not too awful! 
> 
> Please leave feedback, and maybe come talk to me on tumblr (i'm @/ Official-Musichetta)
> 
> P.s: whoever can tell where I referenced "Venezia" from gets an Internet cookie :)


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